Digital display device using reflected light



Sept. 3, 1968 R. M. RINDER 3,399,474

DIGITAL DISPLAY DEVICE USING REFLECTED LIGHT Filed Jan. 18, 1968 30INVENTOR:

FIG] ROBERT M. RINDER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,399,474 DIGITALDISPLAY DEVICE USING REFLECTED LIGHT Robert M. Rinder, 425 E. 12th St,New York, N.Y. 10009 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No.589,413, Oct. 25, 1966. This application Jan. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 703,216

9 Claims. (Cl. 40-28) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Four slides containingapertures and having light refleeting areas thereon are mounted on abase having light reflecting areas thereon so that a small movement ofone or more of the slides will align apertures and light reflectingareas to indicate digits from 0 to 9. The digits are indicated in aconventional manner in seven windows which, in this invention, areformed in a cover. The light reflecting areas appearing in a window toindicate a portion of a digit are at least one third the width of thewindow.

Cross-reference to related application This application is acontinuation-in-pa-rt of my presently pending patent application, Ser.No. 589,413, filed on Oct. 25, 1966, now abandoned and entitled, DigitalIndicator.

Background of the invention (field of the invention) This inventionrelates in general to devices which display a given digit in response toan input; and, more particularly, to a digital indicator which decodesstandard inputs to display a given digit.

Digital indicators conventionally display digits from 0 to 9 in responseto electrical or other signals in the following manner. When no signalsare applied to an indicator station, it would display a 0. An inputsignal applied to each of four inputs of a digital indicator stationwould cause it to display, respectively, the digits 1, 2, 4 and 8.Signals applied to inputs one and two of a digital display station wouldcause it to indicate the digit 3, to inputs two and four the digit 6, toinputs one and four the digit 5, to inputs one, two, and four, the digit7, and to inputs one and eight the digit 9. Thus, signals applied to anyone of or combinations of inputs of a digital display station may causeit to indicate digits from 09 in response thereto.

Description of the prior art Some digital display devices have aplurality of light sources at each display station so that the lightsources may be selectively activated to illuminate elongated windows toform a recognizable digit. Such display devices require decodingcircuits to have signals from the conventional four inputs lightsuitable light sources at each display station. Other digital displaydevices use neon lights formed to represent digits or they use lightshaving filaments formed to represent digits. These require highvoltages, are expensive, and have other disadvantages.

US. Patent No. 3,054,203 discloses a device which may be used fordigital display, the device having four moving slides as does that ofthis invention. However, each window which indicates a portion of adigit as disclosed in this patent is divided into at least sixteenaperture locations which must be disposed in a matrix of four possibleaperture locations disposed in four rows.

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Thus, each portion of a digit indicated in the window according to thispatent can, at most, occupy one sixteenth the area of the window. Theinstant invention allows the portion of a digit indicated in a window tooccupy at least one third of the area of a window and extend completelyalong the entire length of a window. The large area used in the instantinvention to indicate a portion of a digit in a window allows thisinvention to be effective using reflected light.

Summary of the invention Four slides are disposed over a base and undera cover, the cover containing seven windows within which portions ofdigits from 0 to 9 are indicated. The slides contain apertures and thebase and the slides have light refleeting areas thereon. The slides aremovable from a first to a second position to align light reflectingareas behind apertures and at least some of said windows to indicatedigits as said slides are left in a first position, moved singly to asecond position, or moved in combinations to a second position. Thelight reflecting areas indicating portions of a digit in a window are atleast one third the width of the window and extend completely across awindow to clearly indicate a portion of a digit therein.

Thus, the main object of this invention is to provide a less expensiveand more reliable digital indicator.

Another object of this invention is to provide a more simple andeflieient digital indicating device which indicates digits from 0 to 9directly in response to signals from four input sources.

A further object of this invention is to provide a digital indicatorwhich will function using only reflected light.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a digital indicatorwhich is compatible with existing systems.

Brief description of the drawing FIGURE 1 is a front view of a digitalindicating station which is manually operated and which illustrates asimple example of the device of this invention;

FIGURES 2, 3 4, and 5 are front views of first, second, third, andfourth movable slides of this invention;

FIGURE 6 is a front view of the base of the indicator shown in FIGURE 1;and

FIGURE 7 is a section taken on line 30-30 of FIG- URE 1.

Description of the preferred embodiment FIGURES 1-7 show an embodimentof my invention which is only intended to use reflect-ed light. FIGURE 1is a top view of a manually operated model of a single digitalindicating station. A base or back board 200 has a window cover 201fixed a spaced distance in front of it by means of the two screw 202 and203 which extend between corner extensions 204 and 205 of plate 201 tocorner extensions 206 and 207 of base 200. Plate 201 contains the threehorizontal windows 210, 211, and 212 and the four substantially verticalwindows 213, 214, 215, and 216.

Slides 220, 221, 222, and 223 have corner guide projections 224, 225,226, 227, 228, 229, 230, and 231 formed integrally with them. The guideprojections 224, 226, 228, and 230 extend between the pair of guide pins232 and 233 projecting upward from corner extension 206 of base 200. Theguide projections 225, 227, 229, and 231 extend between the pair ofguide pins 234 and 235 which extend upward from corner extension 207 ofbase 200.

Upper tabs 237, 238, 239, and 240 are formed integrally with the slides220, 221, 222, and 223 and are pulled manually upward to cause thisillustrative embodiment of my invention to indicate a digit. The pullingupward of a tab 237, 238, 239, or 240 corresponds to an input signal.Thus the pulling upward of a tab 237, 238, 239, or 240 moves a slide220, 221, 222, or 223 obliquely upward and to the left as shown. Pullingtab 237 causes the indicating station to indicate the digit 1, the tab238 the digit 2, tabs 237 and 238 the digit 3, tab 239 the digit 4, tabs237 and 239 the digit 5, tabs 238 and 239 the digit 6, tabs 237, 238 and239 the digit 7, tab 240 the digit 8, and tabs 237 and 240 the digit 9.As shown in FIGURE 1 with none of the tabs pulled upwards, theindicating station is indicating the digit 0.

Thus it may be seen that this embodiment of my invention indicates thedigits from 0 to 9 by a color, black as shown, which is printed orotherwise formed in blocks on the slides 220, 221, 222, and 223 and onthe base 200. The color could also be a reflecting surface formed on adarker base and slides. As shown in FIGURE 1, the digit 0 is indicatedby showing color for one third of the width of the windows 210, 212,213, 214, 215, and 216.

As may be seen in FIGURES 27, slide 220 behind window 210 has the slitsor openings 250 and 251 formed in it and separated by a space 252. Acolored block or light reflecting area 253 is printed below slit 251.Slide 221 behind window 210 contains the slits 254 and 255 separated bythe double width space 256. In the same relative location behind window210 slide 222 contains the slits 257 and 258 separated by the singlewidth color printed space 259 and having a second single width colorprinted space therebelow. Behind window 210 slide 223 has printed on itthe two colored blocks 260 and 261 which are separated by a doubleunprinted space 262. Thus, as shown in FIGURE 7, a viewer sees thecolored block 260 through the slits 250, 254, and 257 and the window 210when the indicating station is indicating the digit 0. In this samemanner, using the patterns shown, digits from 0 to 9 are displayedthrough the seven windows 210-216.

The digit 1 is indicated in windows 213 and 214; the digit 2 in windows210, 215, 211, 21.4, 212; the digit 3 in windows 210, 215, 211, 216, and212; the digit 4 in windows 213, 211, 215, and 216; the digit 5 inwindows 210, 213, 211, 216, and 212; the digit 6 in Windows 210, 213,214, 211, 216, and 212; the digit 7 in windows 210, 215, and 216; thedigit 8 in all windows; and the digit 9 in windows 213, 210, 215, 211,216 and 212.

This embodiment of my invention could have its slides moved byelectromagnets, hydraulic devices, or the like to display a row ofdigits with a number of indicating stations. While one particular andworking geometry of slits, spaces, and colored blocks are shown for thisinvention, it is not limited to this particular geometry. It is also tobe noted that this embodiment of my invention requires only four inputsignals to indicate all digits from 0 to 9 and that no decoding circuitsare required. While slits or openings have been set forth as beingformed in the slides 220, 221, 222, and 223, it is to be understood thatthese may also be any transparent or light passing areas.

While I have disclosed my invention in the best form known to me, thisis purely exemplary and modifications may be made without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention except as it may be more limitedin the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A digital indicator comprising, in combination, at least oneindicating station indicating digts from 0 to 9 in response to fourinput signals and combinaitons thereof, said at least one indicatingstation having a base, four slides each movable from a first to a secondposition and disposed one behind the other on said base, means movingone of said slides from the first to the second position in response toeach input signal, and a cover disposed over 4 said slides, said covercontaining windows within which portions of digits are indicated, saidslides containing openings and said slides and said base having lightreflecting areas formed thereon, movement of said slides aligningopenings over light reflecting areas behind said windows indicatingportions of digits in said windows.

2. The combination accordng to claim 1 wherein said openings in saidslides and said light reflecting areas indicating a portion of a digittherethrough in said windows extending substantially across onedimension of said Windows.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said openings and saidlight reflecting areas are at least one third the width of said windows.

4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein said cover containsupper, central, and lower elongated horizontal windows, right and leftupper elongated substantially vertical windows, and right and left lowerelongated substantially vertical windows; said slides move obliquelybetween the angles of said horizontal and vertical windows; saidopenings in said slides are slits; and said light reflecting areas areelongated blocks, said slits and blocks disposed behind said horizontalwindowsbein horizontal and said slits and blocks disposed behind saidsubstantially vertical windows being substantially vertical.

5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein behind said upperhorizontal window of said cover said uppermost slide has an upper slit,a space, a lower slit, and a colored block; said second slide has anupper slit, a double width space, and a lower slit; said third slide hasan upper slit, an upper colored block, a lower slit, and a lower coloredblock; and said fourth slide has an upper colored block, a double widthspace, and a lower colored block.

'6. The combination according to claim 4 wherein behind said centralhorizontal window of said cover said uppermost slide has a double widthslit and a colored block therebelow; said second slide has an upperslit, a space, and a lower slit; said third slide has a colored blockand a slit therebelow; and said fourth slide has a single colored block.

7. The combination according to claim 4 wherein behind said lowerhorizontal window of said cover said uppermost slide has a triple widthslit and a colored block therebelow; said second slide has a doublewidth slit; said third slide has an upper slit, a space, a lower slit,and a colored block therebelow; said fourth slide has a colored blockand a slit therebelow; and said base has a single colored block.

8. The combination according to claim 4 wherein behind said upper rightsubstantially vertical window disposed from left to right said uppermostslide has a triple width slit; said second slide has a first slit, aspace, and a second slit; said third slide has a double width slit; saidfourth slide has a slit and a colored block; and said base has a doublewidth colored block; and wherein behind said upper left substantiallyvertical window disposed from left to right said uppermost slide has afirst slit, a space, a second slit, and a colored block; said secondslide has a first slit, a double space, and a second slit; said thirdslide has a first slit, a space, a colored block, and a second slit; andsaid fourth slide has a first colored block, a space, and a secondcolored block.

9. The combination according to claim 4 wherein behind said lower rightsubstantially vertical window disposed from left to right said uppermostslide has a slit, a space, and a colored block;,said second slide has aslit and a colored block; said third slide has a colored block and aslit; and said fourth slide has a colored block; and wherein behind saidlower left substantially vertical window disposed from left to rightsaid uppermost slide has a quadruple width slit; said second slide has afirst slit, a double width space, and a second slit; said third slidehas a double width slit, a space, and

5 6 a slit; and said fourth slide has a first colored block, FOREIGNPATENTS a space and a second colored block.

370,728 4/ 1932 Great Br rtam. References Cited 414,407 5/ 1966 Germany.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 JOHN W. CALDWELL, Primary Examiner. 30542039/1962 French' A. J. KASPER, Assistant Examiner.

3,110,893 11/1963 Peacock 340-324

